we're not the fortunate ones
by Trylan Aire
Summary: A collection of makorra drabbles ::spoilers for Book 2::
1. just a little hormonal

He could hear the sound of her bare fists making contact with the punching bag from his room upstairs, and he was instantly annoyed by the fact that she was uncharacteristically up quite early that morning. And to top it off, she was making so much noise.

He sighed heavily through his nose and stalked down the stairs, dressed in his worn out white tank top and thin black sweats. The firebender entered the gym, poised to scold the Avatar- but his words caught in his throat at the sight before him.

The hard, umber stretch of her lower back was the view he was greeted with. She was scantily clad in white wrappings, a tradition she had seemed to carry on from the Poles. His mouth went dry at the sight of the way her muscles shifted as she twisted to throw yet another blow into the already damaged bag. It was ripping at the seams, and Mako took ahold of himself and moved forward to keep the Avatar from causing anymore damage than she already had.

She turned at the sound of his footsteps, and offered a smile that favored the left corner of her lips. He swallowed his words, _again_, and simply stared for a moment. The Avatar turned to face him, the fingers of her right hand moving to absently rub the ripped skin of her knuckles.

He cleared his throat. "What are you doing?" he questioned. She raised a brow, resting a hand on her hip. _Spirits, was she wearing hot pants?_ He grit his teeth through closed lips and forced himself to keep his gaze on her face.

"Training. What, am I not supposed to?" she asked, raising a brow in question. He frowned, his tongue tracing the back of his teeth.

"Not like that." He allowed his eyes to trail down to her hands, though his attention was caught by the glistening skin, and the hardness of her well formed stomach. She raised her hands to examine them, not seeming to catch that her appearance was becoming a distraction to the firebender.

Her lips pursed, her tongue poking out through the middle. Mako's fists clenched, and he internally cursed the Avatar. "Oh, the cuts?" she asked. He glared at her.

"Yeah. That's the problem." he muttered dryly. She shrugged, turning her back on him. Her attention was captured by the neatly stacked earthen disks. She lifted two effortlessly, toying with them and bouncing them mid air.

"I figured since it was a day off I could have some fun. You do know how to have fun, don't you?" she scoffed. His arms folded over his chest and his eyes followed the controlled rise and fall of those disks.

"No." he deadpanned.

She laughed, and turned swiftly on her heel. Her fists swiped at the air, and once more he was enraptured by the obvious strength the Avatar wielded. Not only with the power to bend all four elements, but the physical shape she was in. Her arms were no doubt more muscular than his were, and Spirits those _legs. _

"Fight me." she suggested suddenly, and the sudden interjection startled him. His hands rose and fell.

"_W-What_?" he demanded. She was insane, she had to be.

"You heard me. Fight me. You aren't scared of a little one on one with the Avatar, are you?" she teased, sticking her tongue out between her teeth. His fists clenched.

"No elements." he bargained. That smile slipped from her face, replaced by an expression of determination. Her hand jut out.

"You're on." His hand slid into hers, and he was surprised at how small it was, and how much power those little hands held in them. She took a step back and beamed back at him.

"Ready when you are." he called. She made the first move, naturally, the girl had _no_ patience. Her fists connected with his gut, but he stood tall, raising a forearm to blocked her well pointed attacks. He grinned, despite himself, and shoved her backwards. She stumbled clumsily and burst forward once more.

Her legs sweeped beneath his and he unwittingly crashed to the ground. She took her opportunity and hooked her legs around his midriff, poising an arm to crack him directly in the forehead. Her damaged knuckles pressed to his forehead, and he stared up at her.

Her skin was slick with perspiration, her hair loose from it's hold and damp from the sweat. Her chest was heaving, but she was smiling, her eyes narrowed and bright.

His tongue darted out to wet his lips and he simply stared for a moment. The smile slid from her lips and he moved quickly, jerking upwards and pinning her arm behind her back. She grit her teeth as he held her in place. Her back was pressed firm to his front and he tried to ignore the feel of her bare skin rubbing against his.

The firebender's face went red, and his grip loosened just slightly on her wrist. That was all she needed. She jerked away, moving her arms back to grasp his forearm. Korra stepped forward quickly, flinging him overhead and pressing him hard to the ground. Her bare foot connected with his chest and she clutched his hand in her fists up to her chest.

She grinned down at him, victoriously. His attention, however, was on how his hand was conveniently placed flat against her chest. Her jerked away, scooting backwards. His face burned and he crossed his legs quickly.

"I-I just remembered I have errands to run and I reallu have to go." he stammered out, shifting upwards quickly.

"Uh, are you okay?" she called.

"Yeah- I just forgot this, uh, thing and it's really important." he spat out quickly, his words slurring together. He turned his back to her, and for some reason beyond her, he was walking stiffly, almost shuffling side to side.

Her brows pinched together and she frowned. She raised a hand to slick back her damp hair, and shrugged, returning to the bag.


	2. we're young and not in love

If I kiss you, do you promise not to punch me?" The eleven year old asked. The girl before him scoffed, scraping the toe of her moccasins across the blacktop floor.

"Why would you kiss me?" she demanded sharply, glaring at the black dust that had scuffed her boot.

He shifted uncomfortably, toying with the loose ends of his scarf. He shrugged, rocking on his heels. The young firebender's golden eyes darted around at the ground, avoiding her scrutinizing gaze. She sighed heavily, stomping her foot on the ground.

"O_kay_." she allowed.

His hands fell at his sides. his hands clasping and unclasping at his sides. Mako's fingers curled around the ragged, torn edges of his dark tunic. "Do- Do I do it _now_?" he asked, his tone wavering.

"Why are you askin' me? I don't know!" she snapped, planting her hands on her hips. Her eyes rolled and he scoffed, glaring down at her. She was so annoying.

"Um…okay." His hands rested on her shoulders and she stared at him intently. His cheeks flushed and he rushed forward. He pecked her lips and scrambled away, hiding his face with his scarf.

Korra was uncharacteristically silent, and he peeked out over the scarf. She was standing with her fists clenched, her face flooded with color. Her eyes were wide and he laughed at the expression on her face.

"It isn't funny!" she shouted, stomping towards him. The firebender cringed, scooting backwards.

"You promised you wouldn't hit me!" he protested.

"That was before you laughed at me!"


	3. and if we should part

_In which the Harmonic Convergence doesn't go according to plan._

Her body was steadily going numb, from the ends of her toes to the pads of her fingers. Her chest rose and fell slowly, each breath more shallow than the last. The Avatar tilted her chin to the side just slightly, feeling the cool touch of the snow beneath her cheek. Her lips curled up, and she bent her fingers down to dig into the icy slush beneath her.

Her lips parted and all she could whisper was, "We did it…we did it…we did it."

One of her hands, trembling, rose to her chest and pressed her wet fingertips there. "Raava, didn't I tell you I would do it?" she breathed, a short, rasping laugh escaping her lips. Something tugged within her, a warmth she had felt but never truly paid much attention to.

"You were so foolish to fight in such a manner. You exerted yourself far too much, Avatar." a reprimanding, cool voice sighed. Korra laughed once more, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

A whiteness pulled from her chest, taking shape and forming into a great white Spirit. Bright markings decorated it, and it loomed over the crumpled Avatar. "It's done, though. They're all safe." she breathed.

"At a cost." Raava corrected.

"Yeah, but at least they're all safe. The people I knew before this all happened. What were their names, again?" she questioned.

"Senna, Tonraq, Tenzin, Pema, Lin, Ikki, Jinora, Meelo, Rohan, Bolin and Asmai. And then there was your mate, Mako." Raava listed gently.

Korra's brows pinched together. "I had a lot of people who cared about me. Will they know, once this is all over?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Okay. Hey- Raava, am…am I dying?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Would you like me to end it? I can stop the pain." Raava questioned.

"Yeah."

"Remember them. Your friends, your family, those whose lives you touched. Know your accomplishments, your trials, the laughter. Remember your legacy, Avatar Korra."

Her eyes closed and her lips pressed together. At first there was only darkness taking over the clouded memories- then everything was devastatingly bright and clear. She saw a strong man holding the hand of a pretty blue eyes woman, cradling an infant swaddled in blue. "Mom…Dad…"

Then came the bright arrows that marred the wrinkled skin of the bearded man, whose soft grey eyes she remembered so well. And the shrill laughter of children, and the corrective tone of a Mother. Next, bright green eyes and a welcoming voice, introducing her to an incredible new world. Then paler eyes, sharper and painted, with a gentle hand and a melodic voice. Then the smell of smoke, the fabric of cloth around the column of her throat, and the feel of fingers lacing through hers. Golden eyes, hard then gentle, peering into hers.

Each memory came and went quickly, perfect and clear.

Then came the coolness of water on her skin, the warmth of fire spreading through her bones, the strength of earth beneath her feet, and the soft feel of wind on her cheeks.

All four elements shifting, joining as one singular movement.

_"I love you, Korra." _

_"You're amazing."_

_"You're the smartest, funniest, toughest, buffest, talented incrediblest girl in the world "_

_"I am so proud of you, Avatar Korra." _

Her fists uncurled and a wisp of white passed through pale, parted lips…

And somewhere, a newborn took his first breath with a sharp scream, and the cycle began again.


	4. and the tears come streaming

The cell was dismally gray, but painfully familiar. His fingers were curled around the metal bed, his knuckles stark white as his grip tightened. He sighed heavily, tipping his chin up to gaze at the ceiling.

His head turns at the sound of heavy footsteps, and he recognizes the sound as the metal plates shifting on the uniform of one of his (ex) colleagues. His lips pressed together, readying himself for the ridiculing they seemed apt at delivering.

Instead, it's Lin, her arms folded over her chest, with Bolin and Asami following close behind. Lin yanks the door open, and holds a hand up, her narrowed green eyes almost daring him to make a move. Bolin jerks forward throwing his arms around his brother.

"Bro! I was so worried!" Bolin shouts, his green eyes wide in concern. Mako shook his head, his lips curling up just slightly as he ruffled his younger brother's hair.

"I'm fine." he assures his brother. Asami stepped closer, her lips forming a thin line as she stood. Mako made no move towards her, and instead dropped his gaze down to the dingy floor. Her expression is not that of hurt, but instead blatant sadness. Those green eyes are red rimmed, and wet, and as Mako studies Bolin closer he notices his brother's mirror hers.

"I'm fine- you guys-"

Asami shook her head. "No- Mako, it's not you. I-It's Korra." Asami hesitated before speaking the Avatar's name. Something in Mako's chest clenches at that name and his eyes lift.

Lin clears her throat and thrusts forward a newspaper. His fingers tremble, and he just feels _wrong_. The paper is thin, and cheap, but he clenches it in his fists.

The headline is glaringly obvious, in thick, black bolded letters: **Avatar Korra Reported Dead. **The paper drops to the ground and he stumbles back, pressing his palms to the rough, gray walls.

"What?" he hisses.

"They discovered the wreckage of her ship this morning, it washed ashore. She was attacked by one of those dark spirits." Lin informs him, her tone clipped as she speaks. Her hands are clenched behind her back, her brow lowered over her pale green eyes.

"No." He rejects everything- not being able to grasp that she of all people is gone. Korra was absolutely infinite, she could never die, she had _promised_ him to stay out of trouble. No one as invincible as Korra could have simply _died_.

His throat closes and he chokes on his words, his fists raising to curl into his dark hair. The breath escapes his lungs and he finds himself struggling to breathe.

All he can say is 'no' and he just breathes the syllable until his throat is raw. Asami's hand is on his shoulder and the first thing that crosses his mind is that it's all wrong. Korra's hands are rough, the knuckles scraped, her nails chipped- so he takes a sudden step back, separating himself from the Sato girl.

"No- _no,_ she can't be gone-" he remembers saying those words and he wants to laugh because hadn't he said them in this very jail cell? Bolin braces himself against his brother and rests him on the flimsy metallic bed. Bolin's own throat is thick and he's long past being able to shed anymore tears.

"You two need to leave. Dead Avatar or not, this man is under investigation and typically I wouldn't allow any visitors." Lin interrupts sharply. Bolin nods and takes a step back.

Asami opens her mouth to speak, and is silent for a moment. "Whatever happened was a mistake, I understand that. I'm so sorry, Mako."

He doesn't offer her a response, and she turns on her heel quickly, heels clicking against the stone flooring. Bolin follows and Lin slams the cell door closed.

When the others are gone, Lin steps to the gate, her eyes lowered. "I'm sorry, Mako, but I can't let you go."

He hardly hears her, his eyes stuck- transfixed- on the newspaper. He picks it up, and his fingertips brush over the picture of her. It's said to be the last picture taken of her, and it's so perfectly Korra. She's bent awkwardly, her lips curled wide in a sheepish smile, her hand locked together with the President's.

"It's all my fault." he speaks the words quickly, and Lin can hardly differentiate the syllables. The Chief frowns.

"Stop _that_, you know as well as I do that that girl wouldn't do anything she didn't want to." Lin reprimands. Mako shook his head.

"You saw her- _I_ made her cry. I-I was the reason she left. If I hadn't- if I could have just listened-" he rasped. He felt wetness on his lashes then, and brought a hand to his cheeks. Tears drizzled down his face, and he could taste the saltiness of them on his tongue.

Lin turns away, and disappears down the hallway.

He clenches the paper in his fists, crushing the figure of the President, folding the thin pages until only her figure is visible among the crumpled words and useless articles.

And for once, he allows himself to cry.


	5. dawn of a new day

She was sitting on the cobblestone ground, her palms rested flat against her thighs. Her eyes were closed, her lips pressed into a thin line. The Avatar seemed utterly unconcerned with the stormy skies, and the rain pouring down over her as she sat peacefully in the pavilion.

He was watching her, from his point behind the tall stone pillars, wrapped up in a heavy parka Senna had given him and his scarf. Mako had never really understand how she could withstand such temperatures in her thin, summer clothing. He was constantly reminded of her upbringing in the frigid, unforgiving cold of the South, and shivered subconsciously at the thought of the compound she had been brought up in.

His eyes returned to her, and his gaze traced up to the way her shirt was plastered against her skin, revealing each and every muscle the girl had. He swallowed and his gaze flickered elsewhere. His chin tilted down the hall of the Temple, and he could just vaguely hear the soft, chiming voice of his current girlfriend.

Things were different now, more complicated than they had ever been before. Korra was honing in her skills, packing in as much training and meditation as she could before the final days that would lead up to the Harmonic Convergence. She hardly spoke to them anymore, aside from Bolin, who could always manage to win a smile from the Avatar.

Tenzin had swept by earlier, and his pale tired eyes had fallen on the soaking wet Avatar. He had sighed, and brought a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Korra deals with things much differently than everyone else. She is far too independent for her own good. She is pushing herself so hard. Will you just make sure she doesn't hurt herself?"

Mako had nodded, not exactly needing the request. He hadn't torn his gaze from her since he had found her. And she hadn't moved, other than the steady tempo of her breathe, she showed no signs of life.

"You idiot, you're going to get sick." he muttered, shoving his fists into his pockets. His eyes darted around and he stalked forward. He hunched down to her level, and his arms wrapped around her carefully. His fingers cradled the back of her head and his other arm hooked beneath her legs.

Her eyes fluttered open and she glared up at him accusingly. "It isn't smart to wake up someone when they're in the middle of transitioning into the Spirit World." she muttered.

His lips pressed into a thin line. "It isn't smart to sit in the center of a storm, either. You're soaking wet, and I don't want to hear you complain about getting sick."

She went silent for a moment, and he heard her angrily murmur, "You won't have to hear _anything_ from me, anymore."

He considered dropping her right there, but then thought twice, as they were considerably close to the Temple and Mako didn't want to claim responsibility for her demolishing the fragile estate.

The firebender held her as he walked through the Temple, careful to walk down the more secluded hallways. She was uncharacteristically quiet, but he supposed she was a bit out of character lately. He wasn't entirely sure what had occurred during her disappearance, but _something_ must have happened for her to change so quickly and drastically.

She hardly spoke, and when she did her speech was careful, though out. She didn't argue anymore, and he hadn't heard her raise her voice since she had returned. It was strange.

"You can put me down." she croaked. Her shaking feet met the floor and she took a step back, her back meeting the flat of her doorway. Her lips pressed together, and she looked so young and fragile, with her dark hair loose and plastered to her cheeks, her clothing heavy and stuck to her skin.

"Thanks, Mako." she said, hollowly. He raised a hand to fidget with his scarf.

"Yeah, no problem."

Her eyes lowered and she slipped into her room, shutting the door abruptly behind her


	6. lies we sometimes tell

She's never been a convincing liar. She could grit her teeth and keep her mouth poised in a forced smile, but _he_ had always said her eyes gave it away. He had always seen right through her façade. He had called her weak, once, and she had almost broken his jaw. _That's_ how she communicated. She supposed that was one of the reasons it hadn't worked out between the two.

She was too messy, far to chaotic for him. He wanted normalcy, he wanted simplicity- and Korra certainly did not fit that description. A normal, quiet life had never been an option for her, she had always been too_...big_ for that. Too cluttered, too loud, too distinct. She stood out among the crowd, while he dwelled in the masses, hiding and shielding himself from attention. He would indulge her, sometimes. His fingers would shyly link with hers as they strolled down the streets, he would nudge her playfully in the park, and his lips would press to hers and she swore this was _it_.

It wasn't- of course.

She had done what she did best- broke and destroyed everything she got ahold of. Their relationship crumbled to pieces along with the poor desk she had launched across the room. She ran, yet another thing she was become accustomed to doing. And when they were reunited, her throat burned and her fingers trembled and searched for the feel of his skin beneath their rough pads. It was like she fell in love with him all again- with one desperate kiss and that grim golden stare.

That was when she realized that he was more dangerous than she could ever be.

He could get under her skin, he could push her to the edge and leave her begging for more. The firebender could quell her fears and put a stop to her self destructive ways with a simple smile. And that was terrifying to her. _She shouldn't need someone that much, _she urged herself_, she shouldn't rely so heavily on a single soul._ She was the Avatar, after all. She belonged to the World before any man.

So she lied. "I think we both know that this- _us_- isn't working."

He had let her, because he knew exactly what she was doing. He had nodded, mirroring her concerns, his gaze heavy and his lips curled down. _Smile, please_, she had shouted, silently. She had always liked him better when he smiled. The years of struggle and poverty disappeared and faded into the youthful crinkle of skin at the corners of his eyes. He was too beautiful.

"I'll always love you, Korra." It was so final, like a door slamming in her face. This was absolutely it, wasn't it? She swallowed the scream edging over her tongue, and forced her lips to quirk upwards. She might as well smile as her world crumbled around her.

"And I'll always love you."


	7. on the otherside

Their wedding was everything she had expected it to be. The bridesmaids carried crimson roses, with sleek matching toned dresses, their hair done up in elegant twists. Korra, in a final act of defiance, stuck out in water tribe blue in the sea of black and scarlet dress. Bolin stuck close to her through out the ceremony. Neither of them had paid much attention to the service.

She had escaped to the balcony, leaning fully over the edge, staring at the clear contents of her wine glass. She had never cared much for alcohol, but she was reconsidering her lifetime disapproval of the liquid.

Really, she was happy for them. It was what she had always wanted, for _him_ to be happy. Even if his happiness had to be achieved through _this_- it was worth it. She had felt his gaze sweep over her as the newly wed couple faced the crowd, and her eyes had dropped to her shoes, clapping right along with the others.

Asami had been beautiful- but then again when wasn't she beautiful?- and dressed in an elegant, traditional gown. And Mako had been so handsome, smiling and staring at his painfully beautiful bride as she beamed back.

And when their lips met, Korra hadn't looked She busied herself by looking elsewhere- anywhere else-, and Bolin had caught her gaze. He offered her his hand and she took it gratefully, squeezing his fingers. He grinned, elbowing her playfully.

And when the couple slow danced across the floor, Korra had taken her chance. She hadn't been followed, thankfully, and was free to swallow as much of the painfully tart alcohol that she wanted. It burned her throat and called tears to her eyes, but she fought through it because fighting is what she'd always been best at.

And all she wanted to do right now was fight. But there was something- something heavy pressed to her chest, holding her down and anchoring her down with the rest of them. She had never been like _them_, she had realized this long ago. Never content with a simple life, a simple home- she had always wanted _more_.

She guessed she had gotten greedy when she had pushed everyone away and burned every bridge she had ever constructed- and expected _him_ to follow her dutifully. He hadn't, of course, and that just proved those horrible myths wrong.

Avatars were supposed to fall in love only once, and it was a fairly instantaneous thing. '_Well_,' she thought bitterly, as she emptied the contents of her glass and slung the frosted cup over the edge of the balcony, _'what happens when the one person you love doesn't love you back?'_


	8. and i'm home

She awoke approximately three weeks and two days after she had absorbed Vaatu's energy. It had been her Mother and Father who had been at her side when she finally came to. Her eyelids had fluttered open, this time revealing wide blue, bloodshot eyes.

She had smiled up at them, and said hello in a croaking rasp. The rest had been alerted by Tonraq's startling, rasping laughter followed by broken sobbing. Mako had been the first to burs through the doors, and his eyes met those bright, lively blue ones, as she peered over her Parent's shoulders.

Her lips curled up just slightly, and he could have sworn he saw her lips part to speak to him. She was interrupted by a high pitched screech that emitted from Bolin, who inserted himself directly into the hug Senna and Tonraq had started. Senna and Tonraq laughed, their faces wet, and Senna threw an arm around the earthbender, welcoming him into the group.

Asami stepped in, her eyes wet. She brought a hand to her mouth, and her shoulders trembled. "You're _okay_." she breathed, as she hastened to Korra's bedside. The Avatar beamed up at the girl and nodded, and the Sato girl was yanked into the group hug as well.

Korra's eyes returned to him, and her lips quirked up a bit. She cleared her throat, and Tonraq straightened a bit. The hulking Water Tribe man studied the firebender for a moment, and his wide palmed hand gripped Mako's wrist. He was yanked forward, stumbling forward. His fits clenched at the soft furs that covered Korra and the Avatar mumbled a soft, "Thanks, Dad."

And Tonraq grinned, nodding just slightly. Her hand slid beneath the furs, and her fingers shyly slid over his. His lips curled up and he blinked away at the burning sensation of tears in his eyes. His fingers wrapped around hers.

Tonraq cleared his throat then, and Mako's grip on her hand did not loosen. He tilted his head to the side, and his eyes went wide at the feeling of being pulled forward into the group embrace.

His chin was jutting awkwardly into Bolin's shoulder, but the warmth and safety of the hold they had locked him in was much too overwhelming to budge. He dipped his head low, pressing into Bolin's shoulder, and smiled. He could hear the joint mix of Korra's laughter, her Father's low, guttural noise, Asami's bell like giggles and Bolin's peals of sudden, high laugher, and he felt the reassuring pressure of Korra's fingers intertwined with his, and he had never felt so at home.


	9. as we say our long goodbyes

She's flipping through a newspaper in Narook's as if she hasn't been gone for five years, and didn't drop off the face of the planet without any trace or sign of return. She's stirring sugar into her tea, circling a lazy finger just a centimeter over the surface of the brown liquid, and humming an unfamiliar tune under her breath.

He says her name, and it tastes so warm and familiar on his tongue. She looks up slowly, taking time to carefully fold the edges of the paper and set it down on the surface of the table top. The movement is so methodical and slow, that he wonders if has the right person.

"It's about time you showed up, city boy."

He can't help but laugh at that, and he wonders if she can recognize how hollow the gesture is. She rests her chin on her open palm, and his eyes trail down to the long scars that cut sharp through the smooth skin of her cheek.

"Where have you been?" he demands, and she shrugs, lips pulling into a thin line.

"Where haven't I been?" she muttered, her eyes rolling back, sweeping over the warm, familiar setting of the noodlery. There's something different about the way she moves now, it's so gentle, her fingertips brushing gently over the table tops, her hands careful to not upset the twin cups of tea on her table.

He swallows, and his eyes close in on the cups. "A-Are you with someone?" he asked. Her eyes drop, and she shrugs her shoulders once more.

She's interrupted by a sharp squeal, and a little child clad in blue jerks around Mako's legs, throwing chubby arms around Korra's legs. She laughs, and bends down to scoop up the child into her lap. Her attention is completely diverted, and the Avatar is enraptured by the little boy in her arms.

He's stuck, his breath hurried, palms sweating as he watches her fingers cup the back of the little boy's head gently. The child holds up a stuffed catdeer, and he shows off wide, gap toothed smile. "Did Daddy get that for you?" she laughs, tracing a fingertip over his round cheeks. Her gaze returns to and she smiles, almost apologetically.

"Sorry we were gone for so long, he wanted to play the claw machine." a voice calls. Mako steps back quickly, his gaze falling on a tall, broad shouldered man. He's clearly of earth kingdom descent, with dark green eyes and bronze suntanned skin.

The man bends down a bit, his lips pressing to Korra's forehead, and she smiles when he does.

"Jae, this is an old friend of mine, Mako." Korra introduced, and her grip around their son tightens, "And this is Kavik." The little boy perks up at the mention of his name and grins up at the golden eyed stranger. Mako feels something clench in his chest- because he should have _known_.

The boy has her eyes, her crooked smile, and the same sloppy high wolftail. Mako clears his throat and shakes her husband's hand. The man has a strong grip, and his hands are rough, but Mako smiles and congratulates Korra.

Her grin never wavers as her son mumbles something about how pretty Mako's eyes are. She tips her chin back the way she always has and laughs, loudly. Mako's eyes never leave her, and when they do it's to size up the man who's seated across from her.

She talks rapidly, her hands moving and gesturing as she speaks. Her son mirrors her, laughing as he does so. Mako's eyes stray over to her husband, and the man makes Mako feel sick to his stomach. Because he's looking at Korra the way _he_ used to.

The man's dark eyes are soft as he watches the Avatar speak, and the corner of his eyes crinkle as Korra says something that he finds particularly amusing.

"So, how've you been, Mako? Are you still with Asami?" she asks. He's startled by the question, but then reminded of how disconnected she must have been, travelling the world with her family. He shakes his head.

"That ended pretty quickly, actually. She's engaged, actually." he answered. She nods, eager to cling to any bit of information she can.

"And Bolin?" she persisted. Mako shrugs, a smile slipping onto his features despite himself.

"Still Bolin, he coaches a probending team now, but he's doing great. He's steady with this girl, she's good for him." he explained. She smiled, and the question he's been expecting finally came up.

"And what about you?" she asks. His eyes drop, and he takes in the family she's built. The family she made _without_ him. He opens his mouth, and he wants to say _everything. _How her son would look better with firebender gold eyes, and how the betrothal necklace clasped around her throat should have been made by _his_ clumsy fingers, and how he's missed her for all these years- He inhale sharply instead.

"Good. I've been good. I'm a detective now, I finally made it."

"That's great!" she encouraged, her fingers running through her son's thick dark hair. Her eyes drift over to her husband's and she smiles. "I think we'd better go, actually. It's almost time for Kavik to go to sleep." she stood, cradling her son to her chest.

"I'll go wait outside." her husband tells her, smiling as he took their son. Korra smiled, a hand brushing over his hand. "Thanks." she breathes.

She turns to Mako after they left. "It was great seeing you, Mako. Maybe I'll see you again, before we leave? I'm meeting with Asami for lunch tomorrow, and I saw Bolin earlier today." she told him.

His brows pinch together. "Then why did you ask me about them? If you knew they were okay- if you knew I was okay?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I just wanted to hear you say it."

Her attention turns to the window, where she could see her husband gently cradling their son in Naga's saddle. Her eyes are soft, and she's smiling, and it finally resonates. This is how it's supposed to be.

His hands fall to his side, heavily, and she looks back at him. "I missed you." she sighed. He nods, and returns the words.

"But I'm not sorry for how things ended up."

He nods. "I know."

She embraces him, and memories are recalled. She's still so small, her shoulders broad, her arms deceivingly strong, and still so warm. His throat is closing and he wants nothing more than to just hold her. She steps back suddenly.

"Bye, Mako.

"Yeah…"


	10. don't cry for me

She won't even look at him, her chin is resting in her open palm, directed towards his younger brother, who was animatedly describing _something_. Whatever Bolin was talking about, she was eating up every word. Her lips were curled up wide, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

Asami's hand is warm in his own, and her can feel the light sting of her nails pressing to the callouses in his palms. She's been quiet too, for most of the night, her own eyes not meeting Korra's.

Korra had hardly spoken a word to either of them when she had returned to the City. Her eyes had simply stuck to the couple's intertwined fingers, and she had snapped her neck to turn and speak with Bolin. She had flung her arms around the earthbender, clinging to him. Her forehead pressed to Bolin's shoulder and they stood like that for a second.

"You got taller." he had heard Korra mutter, and Bolin grinned. Bolin had been the one to suggest dinner, and Korra had eagerly agree.

"'M starving." she had said. Mako's eyes had been drawn to the bandages poking from under her loose shirt as she stretched upwards, and the way she moved stiffly, her pain obvious. Defeating Vaatu had nearly killed her, but she had done it.

He was so proud of her, really. If only she would look at him long enough for him to be able to tell her that. Instead, she had been enraptured by Bolin for the entirety of the dinner, ignoring the other two completely.

Asami squeezed his hand and her brows were drawn together. She was frowning, her expression that of confusion and concern. Mako shook his head in answer.

"I have to go back to the office, actually. I'll see you all later?" Asami asked. Bolin mumbled something and Korra had gone silent, suddenly becoming very interested in the sling that held her mending arm in place.

"Yeah. see you." Mako answered. Asami lowered, and Mako mentally urged her, _don't, don't_- _not in front of_- then her warm lips met his for a brief peck. Bolin cleared his throat immediately and Korra's fingers toyed with the bandages. Asami hesitated for a moment, her pale green eyes sweeping over Korra. "I-I'm sorry." Korra did not look up when the words were uttered, and the Sato girl hurried out, her heels clacking against the smooth tiles.

Bolin playfully swatted at her fingers. "The Healer said not to mess with your owies, 'kay? She put me in charge of making sure you heal right." he chastised. Korra snorted loudly and her good hand fell in her lap.

"I'm fine, you know."

He wasn't exactly sure who that was aimed towards.

"I never told you guys, but, um, congratulations." Korra said slowly, and even still, her eyes would not lift from the table to meet his. "On your…relationship."

"_O-Oh, _um…thanks. It- wasn't- I- we just-" he stammered for an explanation but Korra held a hand up.

"I'm not mad, Mako. I mean- we broke up. We were over. I-I'm happy for you, really. As long as you're happy." she finished. Then her chin tipped up, and those blue eyes he had missed so much met his. "You are happy, aren't you?"

He swallowed, and searched for words. _Was he? _Her eyes searched his face for any explanation, and then she dropped his gaze, her lips curling up.

"It doesn't make a difference anymore, though, if I say I really missed you- and I'm sorry. For everything I did before. You didn't deserve any of what I was you through. So- I'm glad you're finally happy." She turned away from him abruptly, her fingers curling around Bolin's sleeve.

"Can you take me home?" she asked. Bolin nodded immediately, shoving a hand in his pocket and searching for the appropriate amount of money to pay for his meal. Bolin shot his older brother a pointed look before he slammed the yuans on the table.

"Bye." Bolin muttered. "See you later, Mako."

Korra was already out the door, and Bolin was following close behind. Mako stared at the empty spot, his jaw clenched, his fingers curled into fists in his lap.

..

Korra had laced her good arm through his, and she was actually smiling.

"You're really brave, you know that?" He told her. Her eyes rolled and she laughed.

"Brave?" she repeated, rolling the word off her tongue, "Me? I wouldn't call starting a Civil War, then getting amnesia brave, Bolin."

Bolin shook his head, a smile curling his lips upwards. "_No- _I mean you're the bravest person I know, You stand up for what you believe in, and not that many people can do that anymore! Spirits, Korra, look at what you did back there. You stood up for yourself against what they did."

Korra cleared her throat. "That wasn't brave." she muttered weakly.

"Yeah it was. Korra, what they did was wrong. And they know it, that's why they're terrified to say anything in front of you. Spirits, Korra, you're so, so brave."

She smiled this time. "Thanks, Bolin."

He shrugged. "Nah. that's what friends are for, y'know.:"

Her eyes travelled across the Bay, up to the dim lights of Air Temple Island.

"So…it's okay for me to be…upset, right now?" Her voice was thick, her lips quivering. Bolin turned swiftly, opening his arms up.

"'Course."

She was still for a moment, before her shoulders dropped and she pressed fully into him. She was trembling, her chest heaving as she choked on rasping sobs.

"I'm so angry-" she choked out. His clumsy fingers pat her hair gently, and he allowed her to sob into his shoulder.

"A week, Bolin- who does that?" she snarled, her fingers curling into the lapels of his jacket. His lips press together and he holds in his angry remark. Korra didn't deserve this unhappiness.

"I'm sorry, Korra." he mumbled, his lips pressing to her forehead. She sniffled, and took a step back. Her arms folded over her chest and she stared at her moccasins.

"Sorry." she mumbled.

"Don't apologize for crying, Korra. Everyone does it." he insisted. She shook her head, raising a hand to wipe away the slick wetness on her cheeks.

"Bolin, you really are the best, you know that?" she laughed. The earthebender popped his collar upwards, grinning at the girl.

"Of course I do."


	11. we're bound to be afraid

She wore a loose parka he was positive belonged to her Father. The worn out blue material sagged down to her knees, and she had the fur trimmed hood drawn over her hair.

He knew that she was bandaged tightly beneath that over sized parka, and his eyes were drawn to the red tinted gauze wrapped taut around her wrist. His lips pressed together, and his grip around the railings. Her eyes were stuck on some unidentifiable point across the bay, and he felt himself just aching for that gaze to meet his.

He had adored those eyes, once, some point in time, and that specific color of blue had never been matched with any shade he had seen since. The firebender cleared his throat, and turned a bit towards her. "You…wanted to talk to me?" he asked weakly.

She sighed, it was a soft, gentle noise and he entirely wasn't sure what to expect from her. Screaming, shouting, maybe a slash of fire from those curled fists? Instead, she tilted her head towards him, and her wide blue eyes peeked out from behind her loose bangs and the hanging hood.

"Yeah, about that-" she began, and her eyes flit down to her intertwined fingers. She chewed her bottom lip, and dragged the toe of her moccasin clad toe over the concrete ground. She sighed loudly again and turned away from him, pressing her side into the pillar.

"This is the spot, you know? Where it all happened." she hummed a bit. He stared at the back of her head, and realization struck. This was indeed where everything happened. _She_ had kissed him here, in this very spot for the first time. His throat closed a bit and all words escape him.

"Yeah, I know."

She turned again, and her lips parted. "I was so_ angry _back then, you know. Remember? Every little thing set me off, the tournament, Amon, Tahno.." she trailed off, bringing a hand to rub her arms. "And especially you. I kissed you, even knowing you were with Asami. I messed a lot of things up, including your relationship with Asami. B-But after the whole Amon thing happened- I thought we were alright. And we _were_, we were great, at least for those first six months- and everything went to shit- and it was all my fault-" her voice broke and it occurred to him he had been holding his breath.

"I became so consumed by how angry I was, and everything I did just messed things up even more than they already were. A-And it wasn't fair to anyone around me- especially you, Mako. Spirits, I was a _mess_. And when we broke up, I was _so_ sure it wouldn't last long. Because you were it, you were…_my person_, but I was wrong. But- I-I'm not angry anymore. I don't want to fight, anymore, Mako- I'm done…and it doesn't even matter anymore. I just want…I just want you to be happy. Even if I'm not the one who makes you happy."

"Korra- I'm so sorry it ended up like this-" he choked out. His eyes burned, and he blinked away the sensation. She shook her head, but he continued on, "When we first kissed, I was so sure that you were it, too. You felt right, b-but we didn't work. We didn't work- and I don't know if we ever can work- but I was happy. You made me so happy, b-but when you were gone- Asami was here, and you weren't- so- I-I'm just so confused-" And she moved. For a moment, all he could see were those burning eyes, and those pursed lips.

Her arms weaved around him, and she embraced him. He didn't remember he ever being this soft. and _light. _His arms hovered over for her for a moment, and he wasn't quite sure what to do anymore.

"So, yeah," she finished, her voice breathy. "You don't have to be confused anymore, okay? I get it now."

He stared at her, his lips parted in surprise.

"I think- I think I need to go."

"Korra, we can talk about this- with everyone."

"I don't mean to the Island, Mako. I mean _go. _Anywhere, I guess. I can go all over the World, everywhere I wasn't allowed to go before." she glanced out towards the Bay once more.

He shook his head, taking a sudden step towards her. "Korra-" he breathed. She was smiling when she faced him.

"I just wanted to make sure you were happy, okay?" she finished. And she turned away, motioning to walk away. He lunged forward, and his hand grasped out for her- any part of her. His brows pulled together in confusion when his hands passed completely threw her shoulder.

"Korra-" he rasped. His vision shifted, distorting and changing. Her skin paled into ghostly blue, and when she turned to face him, she was smiling still.

"I just wanted to know you were happy, okay? And I want you to know I was happy, even when I died."

Those words sounded so hollow, and the final word echoed in his ears.

"_Korra_!"


	12. i find everything i thought i lost

She was screaming, somewhere- he wasn't entirely sure where the noise was coming from, but only that it was ringing and echoing and it was so _incredibly_ painful. Her face, pinched and distorted in her agony, was imprinted to the back of his eyelids, and it was an image he couldn't rid himself of. He still saw her blood -wet, dry, so much red- clinging to his skin and his clothing and he couldn't clean himself of the stain. The color red made him nauseous, and his scarf was stuffed into his coat pocket, hidden from his view.

Her voice had always been loud, but it seem her tone increased in death. He could hear her talking too, when she wasn't screaming. He could hear everything in her voice, he could hear the echoing of the past lives she had lost, and the lives to come. That voice terrified him, partly because her voice was being overcome and taken away. That voice was his last piece of her, and he clung desperately to her brief whispers. He thought he was more afraid of losing the sound of her than losing his own sanity.

Bolin didn't understand- how could he possibly? Bolin hadn't known her the way he had. Korra showed a side of herself to Mako that no one could understand. He had seen her on the brink of death, then come back from it and he had held her when she was bleeding out, her body battered and ruined. He had never seen someone so broken- and he had never expected to see Korra of all people like _that_.

And Asami had tried, both of them had, really. He tried, too. He tried to tell them how she couldn't be gone, Korra could never die. He heard her everyday, didn't he? He saw her pretty face, saw those brilliant blue eyes, saw that wide, crooked smile, that was proof enough, wasn't it?

He wasn't sure anymore. Bolin and Asami visited daily, restocking the kitchens and forcing him to move and breathe because he was forgetting how too. Korra had taken all of the oxygen with her when she died.

"Mako?" He snapped up to attention at his name, and his shoulders sagged as his brother peeked around the doorway. Bolin cleared his throat and pushed the door open. "We're home." Mako's eyes fell down to his brother's side, where two pairs of bright eyes peered up at him from behind their Uncle's legs.

Mako's throat went tight. They looked like her. "Daddy?" the youngest asked. _Kenna, her name is Kenna,_ _sweetie. Remember? We named her after Katara and my Mother, _Korra reminded him softly, and his eyelids fluttered at the sound of her reassuring tone. _She's our little fireferret. You remember, don't you?_ _She's her Daddy's little girl, she loves you, remember that? _She's talking to him, easing him through, and he smiles despite himself. Even in death she isn't allowing him to get away with anything.

The older one, the boy, stared hard at his Father. He has his Mother's eyes, and the revelation is startling, and his gaze drops. _That's Rinzen, Mako. You know that. Remember when he was born and we had no idea what to do? I put his diaper on backwards, and you put flour on him instead of baby powder. _She's laughing now.

"Daddy?" Kenna repeats, and Mako looks down at her. She inched closer to him, and her golden eyes are wide. She'll be a firebender, he knows it. The idea makes him swell with pride, and he offers her a hand. She smiles, and it's his smile, and climbs up the couch and into his lap. Her forehead presses to his chest.

_You have to take care of them now, okay? You're a good Father, and you need to be there for them for me too. _

Rinzen stepped forward, and Mako's free hand reaches for his son. The boy hesitates. "It's okay, Rinzen. I-I'm going to be better now. I promise." he assured them. Rinzen's expression is familiar, and he realizes that it's a face he's seen in the mirror. The little boy moves forward, and wraps his arms around his Father.

Bolin closes the door then, whispering his goodbyes. The three sit like that for awhile, until the little girl mumbles under her breathe. "Tell us about Mommy." she requested softly.

_Good luck, cool guy. I love you. _

He's quiet for a moment, and he inhales shakily. "Let me tell you two a story, it's about a brave girl and all the adventures she went on." he began.

"What's it called?" Rinzen questioned.

"I call it the Legend of Korra."


	13. i know my kingdom awaits

She was going.

Somewhere, anywhere, _everywhere_. As long as it was away from here, she wasn't particularly picky. She just needed to _go_. Far. And then farther, until there was nowhere left to go. She just couldn't be here anymore. Republic City held no home for her any longer. And the thought of that made her feel unbalanced, like she could do something dangerous. She half hoped she would do something reckless, it would make her feel more like herself. Because everything had seemed so confused lately. Nothing felt like it had before, and she hated the feeling of being lost more than anything.

And the South Pole could offer her nothing now, The desolate miles of ice and frigid wasteland no longer felt like the home she had known for so many years. She wanted more, so much more, than _this_. So she ran around for a few years, exploring the land and people. She met thousands, and she had been content with the feeling of being lost. There was no isolation in it, when she belonged to every stranger she met in dark, dingy hotel rooms in the outer rings of Ba Sing Se, or the private estates of Fire Nation nobles or the stone corridors of the air temples.

She was absolutely free with the World. Everything was hers, and it was perfect.

Then one day, it simply stopped. The faces of all she had come to know blurred together and joined into a singular person, a face she had long since tried to forget. The varying colors of their individual eyes morphed, remaining Fire nation gold. She cradled her temple, squeezing her eyes shut and mumbling curses under her breath.

"No, no, no." she hissed.

She didn't feel anymore. It got in the way. She reminded herself of that constantly, when his face and voice became once more imprinted to the backs of her eyes. She had nearly brought a tea shop down as his voice echoed in her mind. He was the only home she had ever felt she had. The South Pole had been a prison, the only memories she held had been of the bite of snow on her skin and the dismal gray walls that contained her for so many years. And Republic City- as beautiful and new and hypnotic as those towering skyscrapers had been- she had lost it all when she had walked away from him.

So she swallowed her pride, six years later, and made the journey back to the City. The Press was, thankfully, unaware of her sudden return, and she was able to slip into the city unnoticed. She explored the City like she had all those years ago, recalling the familiar scents, the crowds, and the smog. And somehow, she ended up in front of the Police Station. Her eyes trailed up to Toph Beifong's statue, and she nodded to her past life's close friend.

Her hand slid over the doorway, her fingertips pressing to the smooth, metallic handle. She could hear him, hear his voice, and it made her sick. Her throat tightened and her legs trembled beneath her. She felt the very earth shifting and leaving her floating. The door was shoved open and she burst through them.

"Mako?" the name slipped off her tongue and she was terrified to realize she was _crying_. Her feet were heavy as she scrambled through the Station, her hands out and searching for him.

"Avatar Korra?" an incredulous voice barked out, as she shoved past them. Her vision blurred, distorting from the tears and she cursed the spirits to herself.

She stopped suddenly, and her fingers clasped tight around the fabric of her shirt. She blinked away the wetness from her eyes, and took in a deep, ragged breathe. The World stilled then, and everything stopped. The other faces dimmed, disappearing into nothing, and there was nothing but him, just across the room.

"I-" her voice failed her, and she was only vaguely aware of the other officers around them. He was staring at her, and he was all she could see. He held a file tight in his fist, and his mouth was agape as he watched her.

"Korra."

The way he said her name made every other word in the human vocabulary obsolete. Her lips curled up and her chin tucked to her chest. She brought the flat of her palm to wipe the wetness from her cheeks. Her eyes lifted and she laughed, breathlessly.

"I'm home."

He moved then, dropping the papers carelessly on the ground. His arms wrapped around her and she clung to him, her fingers knotting in the fabric of his uniform. Her forehead tucked into his shoulder, his fingers curled into her hair, and she was absolutely sure there was nothing past this.

"I'm home, Mako. I'm home."


	14. no time to waste

"I'm cold." he mumbled. It was an understatement really, because he was absolutely_ freezing_. His nose was raw and pink, along with the tips of his ears and his chapped lips. She laughed and brought a hand up to tug on his beanie, fixing it to cover up his ears.

"It's not that cold." she returned. He snorted and stuffed his gloved hands into the layered coat pockets of the heavy parka she had given him. He wore four layers of clothes, a thick pair of gloves, a fur cap, thick woolen sweats and his own moccasin boots. If it hadn't been for the distinct golden eyes and pale skin, he looked like a part of the Water Tribe.

"You look good in blue." she told him, her lips curling up. His cheeks, already pink, darkened a shade and he tipped his chin low, nudging his cold nose against hers. She grinned, pressing her smile against his. Her forehead rested against his and she brought a hand up to pull up the hood of his fur trimmed hood.

"You look better." he stated. She laughed, again, and didn't disagree. The cold had never bothered her, so she would walk around in a thin parka and swears and be perfectly content. Her city boy of a husband, however, was not accustomed to the arctic temperatures just yet.

"Are they still sleeping?" Mako asked. She shrugged, her dark blue eyes sweeping over the deck of the ship.

"I'll go check." she told him. She pecked her lips to his, and slipped away. The Avatar made her way through the narrow metallic hallways of the ship, and pressed a palm to one of the doors. She slid it open gently, and peered into the compartment.

A little hammock sat in the far corner, rocking slowly with the lull of the tide against the ship. Their son rested in it, wrapped right in thick coats and furs and tucked in with heavy blankets. Korra's lips curled up, and her attention turned to the smaller cradle beside the hammock.

A small, bundled figure stirred in it, raising a dark little mitten covered fist into the air. Korra lowered and cradled the bundled infant, pressing her warm lips to the baby's smooth forehead.

"Hey, Kenna baby." she greeted softly, cradling the back of her baby's head with a gloved palm. Korra's thumb rubbed smooth patterns into her daughter's inky black curls. The baby cooed, blowing spit bubbles into the air as she watched her Mother with wide, golden eyes.

"Want to go see Daddy?" she whispered. Korra swaddled her daughter tighter in coats, securing her in a thick bundle of warmth, and walked down the corridors, and back up to the decks.

Mako turned, a grin spreading over his lips. "Rinzen is still sleeping, but she woke up." Korra explained. Mako's lips pressed to the soft, baby skin and he smiled.

"We're lucky she didn't start crying and wake Rinzen up," he told her, "she's not the quietest baby. Wonder where she got that from." Korra scoffed and elbowed her husband.

"We weren't all gifted with the 'I rise with the sun' firebender mentality." she retorted. Mako shrugged, his arms wrapping around Korra's waist.

"Ma?" a tiny little voice croaked. Korra looked up and saw the timid little figure of her son crawling up the steps on his knees. His hair was a mess, hanging loose from his high wolftail, and his blue eyes were red rimmed with traces of his exhaustion. Mako opened his arms for Kenna and Korra surrendered the infant to her Father.

Korra opened her arms for their oldest child and he ran into them. The three year old wrapped his arms around her neck, and Korra lifted him upwards.

"Hey, big boy!" Korra greeted, ruffling his dark hair. He smiled into her coat, digging his sock covered toes into the warmth of her parka.

"It's cold." he mumbled. Korra nodded, ruffling his hair.

"Got it, let's go get some warm clothes on, kay?" Korra suggested. He nodded sleepily and pressed his face into her shoulder. "We're almost there, then you'll get to see Grandma and Grandpa."

He smiled at that, and nodded with a bit more enthusiasm. "Hi, Daddy!" Rinzen called over to his Father, waving his little fingers. Mako grinned, cradling Kenna as he approached.

"Hi. Rinzen." he returned. Rinzen snuggled in further to his Mother. Mako curled an arm around his wife and pressed his lips to her temple.


	15. no rest for the wicked

_Criminal AU_

She looked good in hand cuffs.

They were like accessories to her, really, almost like earrings or even twin bracelets that bound her in the back of his police car. The girl didn't seem to mind them one bit, she was humming under her breath, her eyes focused on some unidentifiable point in the streets.

"Doesn't this ever get old?" he questioned her, glancing up at the girl from his rear view mirror.

"You mean the bondage? No, I kind of like it."

He glared at the girl, whose eyes still had not strayed from the passing city in her window. This girl couldn't take anything seriously.

"You know that isn't what I meant." he stated, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. She was infuriating.

"You know I like to play, city boy. What? You aren't up for our games tonight?" she quipped, lips curling up into that lopsided smile. She was off tonight. More unbalanced, her tone lilting and more feminine than he had ever heard it. It was like she was purring.

"Anything that happened before was a mistake, you know that." he grit out. She laughed, the noise disrupting and sharp. He could hear the clinking of the metal cuffs against the metal bars separating the front and back seats.

"Mistake." she repeated, and he could feel her warm breath through the bars. He shivered. "Puh-lease, city boy, you know what goes on between us isn't a mistake. It may not be right, but it's definitely fun."

"My job comes before _fun_, Korra. I made a vow to protect the city against any threat. You are a threat." he spat out. That laugh again, menacing and rough, filled the car once more.

"Mhm, little old me, big threat." she sighed, and she was toying with the cuff's chains. Her eyes returned to the window, and her chin lowered down. "You taking me in this time?" she questioned.

His eyes flickered back to the rear view mirror, and he studied her. She was so different right now. Tired, almost. She was typically so animated and playful. She teased the hell out of him, but he couldn't deny that he enjoyed it.

He enjoyed the chase, the game of cat and mouse they played. And she was so good at playing it. This girl was a challenge. This girl was _dangerous_ Compared to all of the girls he'd ever been with, Korra was something new and exciting.

She just had to be a criminal. And not just some minor bank robber, or something trivial, she'd murdered before. He found her once, kneeling in an alley, her palms wet and sticky with blood.

She wouldn't tell him why she did the things she did. The girl had some sort of vendetta against a local gang, the Equalists. They preached equality and loyalty, but Korra swore they were dangerous, screaming until her throat was raw that they were a bigger threat than she could ever be.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you yet." he stated. Her lips pressed to a thin line and she lowered her gaze down to the cuffs.

"I'm not going to stop, you know. Not until they're dead, or I am."

Her voice was weak, hoarse and low. He grit his teeth together and swerved, pulling the car down a street. He stopped the car abruptly, once they were in the safe privacy of a dim alley.

"What-"

He swung his door open and crawled into the seat beside her. His fist curled around the chains and he yanked her out. She stumbled forward.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she shouted, spinning on her heel to face him. She glared up at him, ready to scream at him, and she went silent at the sight of him. Her mouth went dry and her eyes met his.

He had a gun aimed at her, directly towards her forehead. He was glaring at her, and her lips curled down. "Are you going to do it, or not?" she asked. His fingers trembled over the trigger, and his gaze wavered from hers for just a moment.

She took the opportunity she was given, and burst forward. Korra grit her teeth and swung her cuffed hands around his neck. Her knee drove into his knee, and he buckled forward. The gun was still held tight in his fist, and he struggled to bring it higher. Her lips curled up and her lips crashed into his.

The cuff chains dug into the back of his neck, but her kisses were so warm and her body pressed up to his felt far too good against his. She kissed messily, roughly, to the point where his lips were chapped afterwards and one of them was bleeding from a busted lip. It was exhilarating all the same.

She broke away from him, her teeth dragging across his bottom lip. She was smiling, and he should have known something was wrong. Her forehead cracked against his, and she dug her knee hard into his stomach once more.

He sunk to the ground, his vision blurring. She propped him against the vehicle, and her fingers searched his pockets for the key. He faintly heard the clock of them being unlocked, and they clattered to the ground. She was kneeling in front of him, and he could just barely make out her distorted outline.

Her lips brushed over his, and her fingertips dragged over his jaw. "Sorry, babe, you know I love you. I just can't take chances anymore." she rasped, her lips moving against his cheek.

He saw her figure move and start forward, then there was a sharp inhale.

"Shit." she cursed.

"_You're surrounded- don't try and run."_

His vision blurred as he attempted to lunge forward and wave off his fellow officers. "No-" he choked out. Her footsteps were all he heard, and the blood thrumming in his temple- and then a shrill report of gunfire.

"No-"

And then a dull, thump of a body against concrete.


	16. all that you need me to be

"You remember everything now?" he questioned, his eyes unwavering from hers. She nodded, and her arms were folded over her chest. The skin of her forehead where Rava's fingertips had brushed over felt scorched and the skin was taut, but everything was alright. She could remember _everything_. Her eyes flit up to Bolin and Asami, who were standing before her, twin expressions of hesitation and fear on their faces. Korra's lips parted to move.

"I missed you guys," she mumbled. Her tone was mixed with exhaustion and relief. Mako's shoulders sagged and a small smile lifted the corners of his lips upward.

"_Korra_-" He reached for her and her eyes were wide. He froze mid step, his arms still held upwards. "I-, um-"

She took two quick steps, and pressed herself to his front, her arms wrapping around his middle. Her cheek pressed hard against the softness of his shirt and her fingers dug deep into the fabric, holding tight to him.

His arms moved around her waist on instinct. Mako's forehead dipped and pressed to her hair.

"I'm sorry, I was just so angry and stressed and I was taking it all out on you-" she whispered, her voice muffled through the fabric. His hand cradled the small of her back and he shook his head.

"I'm sorry too. We both made mistakes, Korra. I missed you so much." he affirmed. She straightened, her palms pressed to this chest.

"Wait- does…does this mean you still love me?" she asked, her voice breaking mid sentence. His brows pulled together and his hand slipped from her shoulder down to her palm. He lifted her hand up, examining the slender, calloused digits. He laced his fingers through hers.

"I don't think I could ever stop."


	17. a new addition

Korra wound her arms around the polar bear dog's neck, burying her face in the pale fur. "I missed you, girl." she murmured. Naga was quivering with excitement, whining as she nuzzled into her friend. The beast had nearly knocked Korra to the floor upon seeing her for the first time, and Korra had laughed and embraced the slobbery kisses and literal bear hugs.

Bolin had grinned from afar, saying something that was unintelligible over Naga's ear splitting howls of happiness for her best friend's return. Korra straightened, a hand still pressing to Naga's large head. "Naga, I want you to meet the newest member of Team Avatar." Korra began, leading the polar bear dog to the massive flying bison that was resting in the stone pavilion.

Naga inched closer, her tail wagging a mile a minute. Her tongue drooped from her mouth as she furiously sniffed the unfamiliar creature. The bison was still, watching with wide brown eyes as he lazily chewed on the endless pile of cabbages Korra had gathered for him.

"Where exactly did you get a flying bison?" Asami questioned. Korra shrugged and watched as her polar bear dog settled easily into the bison's side.

"It's a long story." she muttered.

"He's so fluffy!" Bolin cried, flopping into the silken fur. "Did you name him yet?" he asked eagerly. Pabu darted from his owner's coat, daintily clawing up to Naga's head and investigating the newest addition. The fire ferret chirped and bounded from creature to creature.

Korra shook her head, and a hand raised to stroke his forehead. "Not yet. Give me a second."

She searched for a moment, before spinning quickly, a wide grin on her lips. "_Wang Fire_!" she shouted.

Asami burst into laughter behind a gloved hand and Bolin snorted noisily on the ground. "Where did that come from?" he croaked through fits of laughter.

Korra shrugged. "Just…sounded familiar." she explained.

Bolin strode before the bison and stared it directly in the eye. His lips curled up and his eyes narrowed. The bison's tongue lolled out and slobbered heavily over the earthbender.

"It's _perfect_!"


	18. everyone is to blame

It was a beautiful ceremony, a memorial fit for the Avatar. The City Hall was decked out in pale blue adornments, taking homage to the late Avatar's heritage. A marble statue had been erected in the center, and it was nearly of perfect likeness to the real thing, had it not been for the blank look in the girl's bright, lively eyes. The thing had given Asami the shivers, and Bolin wouldn't even look its way.

They had walked in arm in arm, acting as each others support system. Bolin didn't cringe when her nails dug into his palm as the paparazzi shouted questions about her struggling business, and Asami didn't pull away when Bolin held onto her a bit too tightly when he was questioned a few far too personal questions about Korra.

"Maybe it was best he didn't come." Asami whispered. Bolin nodded, though his eyes were on his shoes. "He couldn't have gone through all of this. Spirits, we shouldn't even be here, Bolin."

"I-I know. It just feels good. The closure, I mean. I needed it. _He_ does too." Bolin responded. Asami squeezed his hand.

"Where is he, anyway?" she asked. Bolin sighed heavily.

"I think he's at the apartment or just roaming the city. He wouldn't tell me."

…..

The photographs were scattered across the table in front of him 'We should have taken more,' he thought. He lifted one particular photograph, his favorite of the rest.

She had been smiling, her eyes squeezed shut due to her laughter. His own lips had been curled up, though he had been watching her with an expression of upmost adoration.

He set the picture gentle on the table, his gaze flitting across the rest, and he stood. From his window, he could see the golden light emitting from the City Hall. His fists curled around the window sill.

Asami and Bolin had gone, and they hadn't even attempted to sway him into going. They knew there was no chance. How could he? Every little thing in the world was a reminder of her, there was no possibility of him attending a memorial of her short life.

Who were they, those strangers, celebrating a life they knew nothing about? He slammed the window shut, turning away from the city lights.

He sunk into the sofa, tilting his chin up to the ceiling. How many times had she been reclined next to him on this very sofa, her warm skin pressed flush against his, her laughter bouncing off the hollow walls.

They had been so happy, hadn't they. At least before. When had it all gone away? When had they become so angry and unhappy?

He remembered the early days of their relationship, when she would tangle her fingers through his and try to hide the blush that spread over her cheeks. And how he would duck down and press his lips to hers, and how his cheeks would burn and she would laugh. It had been so easy in the beginning.

Then things had gotten complicated. She had gotten wrapped up with her family, and feuding tribes, and he had become so tangle dup in his job and protecting the city. Things had gone down hill so quickly, and neither had been able to save their crumbling relationship.

"_I could have fixed it."_ She died thinking he didn't love her. The last time he had seen her, her eyes had been filled with tears and she had run away from him.

Nothing could make him forget that image, it was imprinted into his eye lids. He saw her face every time his eyes closed, and it _hurt._

His hand moved to cradle his face and he swiped at the tears pooling in his eyes. They dripped down his cheeks, and his knuckles grew wet as he attempted to wipe them away.

"I'm so sorry, Korra."

…

Over a thousand miles away, the girl clutched her forehead. The Fire Sage at her side lowered himself down.

"Are you alright, Avatar?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No- I- I just heard…someone."


	19. find you in the day

Most of her actions were done without thought. Korra was impulsive before anything, and he had realized this just hours after meeting her. So it must not have crossed her mind to even consider what he had said just minutes before she had initially disappeared. The moment she sank to the ground, her arms had been around his middle. He had not done any better, he had clung to her, embracing her and burying his face in the softness of her loose hair.

Her shoulders were trembling and her chest was heaving as she gasped for breath in between broken sobs.

"I'm so sorry." she rasped, her words muffled by the material of his uniform. He held her closer, inhaling the smell of her skin as she burrowed closer into him.

"I'm sorry too." he returned. Her arms were strong around his middle, and he had her cradled firmly to him, and neither really felt like releasing the other. Realization dawned on them seconds later, that technically, they were no longer together.

Her chin tipped up, and she looked at him with wet cheeks and a scarred face. His fingers moved to brush over the new scars. "Korra…" he mumbled, and once more he collected her into his arms.

"I was so worried." he told her, his fingers knotting into her freed hair. He cradled her head in his palm, massaging her scalp soothingly.

"I'm sorry." she said, and he felt the warmth of her breath through his coat. Her eyelashes fluttered against his collarbone, but he couldn't bring himself to separate from her.

"Just…don't go, _please_." he rasped out. Her fingers dug into his coat and she clung to him.

"I won't."


	20. everything will break

He really didn't contemplate the consequences before he swept forward and collected her in his arms. He buried his nose in her hair and clung to her, his eyes squeezing shut. She was stiff in his arms, her hands pressed to his chest. Her forehead touched his chest, and the fabric of his scarf tickled her cheek.

"I was so worried." he rasped. It hits him, then- that technically she isn't his anymore. He swallows hard and takes a step back, his tired golden eyes scrutinizing her form. She has bags under her eyes, and there's three long cuts, pink and raw, grazing from her cheek bone down to her jaw line. Her hair is loose from it's holds, the spools drooping. Her shoulder are tensed, her fists curled and tangling into the material of her parka.

"Korra!" Bolin bounds forward this time, roughly gripping onto the Avatar. She melts into his brother, her brows pinching together and her arms winding around the younger boy. She clutches at Bolin's tunic and Mako swears he sees her shoulders trembling. Bolin holds her, mumbling incoherent words. Korra laughs at something he said and Bolin brings a hand to wipe the wetness trailing down her cheek.

It's Asami's turn to embrace the Avatar and she wraps tightly into Korra, her gloved hands burying deep into the softness of Korra's hair. She inhales sharply and her breath is staggered. Korra winds her arms and presses into Asam's shoulder.

When the two parted, Korra faced the with a small smile. Her gaze never met his as she studied her friends.

She looked so tired as she stood in front of them. Naga moved forward and nuzzled her friend, supporting her weight.

"Korra, where have you been?" Asami asked. Korra shrugged.

"Everywhere, technically." she answered. Her eyes lowered, down at the worn and battered moccasin boots she wore. She dug the toe into the dirt.

"Can you, uh, be a little more specific?" Bolin implored. The corners of her lips tugged down, and for a moment Mako thought she was going to burst into tears right there.

"I, uh, was in the spirit world." she answered, and her voice was thick. Her eyes darted away from theirs.

"Look, I- I'm- I'm so sorry I put you all through this. Everything I did was wrong, and childish and selfish- and I'm so sorry." she rasped.

The three were silent as she choked out her apology. She brought the heel of her palms to wipe the wetness pooling around her eyes.

"I want you to know that I'm going to fix it all- I've made a mess out of everything-"

He cringed at her words, because they echoed the insecurities he had blatantly thrown at her just moments before she had disappeared. His fingers trembled, and he clenched them at his side.

"I really am the worst Avatar ever, huh?" She laughed breathlessly as she said this. It was meant as a half hearted joke, but the sound of those words leaving her mouth sealed it for Mako.

"No, you aren't."

Her eyes lifted to meet his and her lips trembled as she spoke. "You're a little biased, though- or, uh, you were." she muttered, and her gaze fell once more.

This was how it was going to be, he realized. She was going to be recovering, recovering from exactly what he wasn't quite sure, but she was going to have to rebuild and strive to fix everything that had happened before. And she was not going to look at him the way she had before, and she wasn't going to laugh at his quirky one liners. And he wasn't allowed to pick her up and spin her anymore, or even touch her shoulder when she needed to be comforted. Whatever they had had before was gone.

Naga snuffled Korra's shoulder and a small smile curled up on the corners of her lips. She raised a hand to brush through the polar bear dog's fur.

"I need to see the President- and apologize, and then I'll need to go back to the South and fix what I started."

"Korra, are you sure that's the best idea? The South is in the middle of a civil war. Tensions are really high right now. " Asami said.

"I started that war, everything that's going on between the Tribes is because of what I did. I need to stop it before a full on war breaks out." she told them.

"Well, you'll need us with you! Team Avatar is back on!" Bolin crowed, grinning. Korra smiled.

"The President comes first, I'll talk to him today. I need to apologize for what I did- or almost did." she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Apologizing was not exactly something Korra was good at doing- or at least before she had disappeared.

"Maybe you should wait until tomorrow. You need to rest." Asami said, taking in Korra's rather haggard appearance. Korra shifted uneasily.

"I-I guess you're right." she mumbled.

"Come on, we'll go with you to the Island, like old times?" Bolin suggested, grinning widely at the proposition. Korra nodded, and took a step forward, allowing her friends to mount Naga's back.

Mako cleared his throat, and called Korra's attention forward. Her eyes lifted to meet his and she was silent.

"I'm sorry." he blurted out. She shook her head and her chin dropped.

"No. You did what was best for both of us, Mako. I was out of control- everything /I did was for my own selfish reason." she corrected.

"You didn't deserve everything that I said to you." he insisted. She shrugged, chewing her bottom lip as she spoke.

"It's…in the past, alright? Everything's different no- I'm different now. What happened before…was exactly what was supposed to happen." she said slowly.

"What happened when you were gone?"he asked her. Her eyes dropped.

"A lot. I saw things, that really put everything in perspective. I met people there- and everything changed. I-I don't know how to explain it. I just know that my duty is to the world, not to myself."

"Korra-"

"I'm really tired, Mako." she said this quickly, and he wasn't sure if she meant tired of him- or just tired of the world.

"Yeah. I-I'm going back to my apartment. See you…later, then?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah."


	21. i'd do better if you stayed

_More Memory Loss AU_

There's really no warning when it happens. She was standing, her arms folded over her chest, leaning a bit against Naga's furry shoulder when her eyes drifted over the pavilion. She catches Bolin's eye, who's grinning and chasing Ikki around. Asami's seated on a stone bench, her hands placed neatly on her lap as she smiled at something Meelo was babbling on about. Then there was Mako, his attention directed towards the infant cradled in his arms. The oldest girl, Jinora, was suspended in the air, her dark eyes focused intently on her baby brother and the older boy holding him. Their lips were moving, but she was too far away to catch their words.

And suddenly, everything came coursing back. Her eyes widened and a low, rasping noise escaped her lips. A palm flew to clutch her temple as it throbbed from the onslaught of memories.

Naga nosed her friend, whining lowly. Korra straightened and placed a palm to the flat of Naga's forehead to appease the beast. "Naga…" she breathed. Her tail wagged and she pressed into the Avatar, her massive body quivering from excitement. Korra laughed, and the sound caught the attention of her friends.

Her eyes lifted and she just grinned. "I remember. _Everything_." Bolin is the first to reach her, and his big, strong arms lift her up and spin her. She laughs and her fingers tangle in his hair. Asami is laughing, tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. Korra embraces the Sato girl and when she stops spinning- she only sees _him_.

His eyes are bright, even at their distance. His lips are curled up just slightly, and he takes a small step forward. Jinora tugs on his shirt and he relinquishes Rohan to his sister. The moment the baby is out of his arms he moves. She meets him half way and they stop just in front of each other.

He has tears in his eyes and she's sure she does too. "I'm sorry." they both rasp, their voices broken and tired. She shakes her head and laughs softly. His fingers move to wipe a fallen tear and her own palm cradles his against her cheek.

"I remember you." she laughs, and her voice is so hoarse and quiet it's a shock to hear. He's smiling so widely, and his laughter joins in with hers.

"I missed you so much."

His thumb strayed to the corner of her lips and his rough skin catches against hers. Her own hands move to cup his jaw, her fingertips brushing over the sharp chin and the smooth column of his neck.

She closed the distance between them, and he locks hold on her. Korra presses fully into him, wrapped up between his narrow shoulders. They're both shaking, but they wear twin smiles on their lips.

"Don't ever do anything like that again." he warns her, his voice muffled through her hair. She laughs and nods into his chest, her fingers grasping onto his jacket, her lips curled up into his scarf.

"I promise."


	22. if fate had been kinder

**AU**

She doesn't stand out much amongst the others, she blended in with the crowds of southern people, staring at the pair with wide, awe filled blue eyes. Her hair was bunched up in high wolf tails, rather than the neat braids and ornamental ties of the other woman, and as the pair of brothers walked down the docks, she shoved her way through the crowd and jut her hand forward.

"It's an honor to have you in the South, Avatar Bolin." she said, a lopsided grin spreading over her face. She was not particularly striking, the massive white beast at her side was more disconcerting than she was.

His little brother, always the people person, shook her hand eagerly. "Thanks! This is my older brother, Mako." he introduced. The girl's eyes drifted over him for a moment and she smiled at him.

"Nice to meet you both. My name's Korra. I was sent to escort you to Master Katara's home, she's been waiting for you." she told them, and she swept an arm toward the creature at her side. "You guys don't have a problem with my ride, do you?"

"Is it safe?" Mako asked, giving his brother a warning glance. The girl snorted, bringing a hand to sweep her unruly bangs from her eyes.

"Naga? Of course she is- I trained her myself. You're looking at the only tame polar bear dog in _existence_." she boasted. That should have been a warning, Mako thought as he looked back on it. He should have known not to underestimate a girl who had tamed a potentially blood thirsty predator.

She just a fist upwards, and thick blocks of ice rose from the ground. "There, nice and safe for the city boys." she teased. His golden eyes rolled and she didn't miss the gesture. She lifted herself up easily, without the assistance of her stairs, and waited expectantly for the pair to join her. Mako followed, and locked hands with his brother and tugged him up.

Korra tilted her chin to the side. "You're going to have to hold onto me, unless you want to end up with snow up your ass." she warned. He hesitated for a moment, before placing his hands firmly on her hips. He could have sworn her saw her lips curl up wider. Before he could be sure, she clicked her tongue and the polar bear dog lurched forward, bounding through the crowds.

To keep steady, his forearms locked securely around her waist. He could feel her toned stomach beneath her top, and the sensation really wasn't helping his stomach as the beast lumbered forward. They were like this for a few minutes, before a massive grey compound came into view.

"That's it?" the Avatar asked, distaste clear in his voice. Korra shrugged.

"It's the safest place for you to be while you're learning waterbending. You are a little late, you know. You learned the elements backwards." she pointed out. Bolin grinned sheepishly in response.

"Do you stay here too?" Bolin implored. The girl nodded.

"My Parents live in a small village a few miles away, but I'll stay here while you do. I'm your teacher, too, Avatar Bolin." she informed him.

"Wait- Bolin came to be taught by a _master_. You aren't exactly what we had in mind." Mako interjected, confusion evident in his tone. Korra snorted once more, he was slowly recognizing how uncultured the girl was.

"Please, I'm Master Katara's best student. I learned everything I know from her. And just so you know, Master Katara isn't in the best condition right now, so she's going to need all the help she can get. And that's me, buddy." she snapped back.

Mako focused his glare elsewhere, and Bolin cleared his throat. "Are we going in?" The three dismounted Naga, and Korra lead the boys up to the grand gate that lead into the compound.

"Hey, Howl! How about letting me in? I've got the Avatar." she called up to one of the guards standing post at the sentries. The man simply smiled down, and the doors opened. Korra lead them through it, and marched through the compound.

"Soo, uh, technically you're a master waterbender too?" Bolin questioned the girl. She grinned in response.

"Yeah. What about you? I heard you have earth and fire down." she asked, curiously.

"Yeah! Fire was a lot harder, but earth was the easiest. Now just water and air to go!" he barked. She jut her chin Mako's way.

"What about you? Bender?" she questioned. His fists curled and he nodded.

"Fire."

Her lips quirked up at that and she spun quickly on her heel. Her eyes were wide and she was much too close for comfort. "Show me." It was not much of a request, but more of a demand, and he fumbled with his gloves, slipping the fabric off.

He cupped his hands together, and a small flame burst from his palms. Her eyes widened and she stared at it for a moment, enraptured by the delicate beauty of the flickering heat. "Wow." she breathed. He had never seen someone so entirely fascinated by fire before, and he took the moment to truly look at the girl. Her skin was a rich, umber color he had seen several times before in the Republic, but he had never seen so close. Her eyes were naturally water tribe blue, but a bit lighter and brighter than the others. Her features were soft, illuminated by the light of the flame.

He caught himself staring, and his fist closed, extinguishing the flame in it. Korra was undeterred, however, by his sudden shyness.

"Thanks, I've never seen firebending up close before. It's…beautiful." He was silent, and simply nodded. Her lips remained upturned, even as she turned away from him and lead them forward through the halls.

Bolin edged over to his brother, and elbowed the older boy, a grin on his lips.

"Who would have thought that we travelled over a thousand miles for me to learn waterbending, and you end up falling for my teacher." he teased. Mako responded with a glare and elbowed his brother back.

"You boys coming, or what?" Kora called from down the hallway.

"Coming, Korra!"

"That's _Master_ Korra to you, Avatar."


	23. if you can reach me

Amnesia AU

She smiled more these days, now that she was settling into the life she had been living just weeks before. Her hair was up, her clothing rumpled and disorderly, and her lips cocked up in that half grin. She was becoming more like her old self even more as the days went on.

There were notable differences, however. She didn't bend with such ferocity, her movements were no longer rash and forceful, but smooth and fluid. She's analytical now, she watches and listens and scrutinizes each movement of her opponent before striking. Her skills had not decreased in her absence of a conscious sense of who she was, but in a way they had vastly improved. She had relearned the basics, and everything had come back slowly and naturally. Korra was a brilliant Avatar, memory or not.

She still had questions, and it seemed like she could never stop asking them about the past.

"Have you ever been to my birth place? What was it like? I mean_ beside_ cold."

"I grew up in a compound? Who put me there? Did I have friends- you're kidding. I had to tame a polar bear dog to make one friend?"

She never stopped asking, and most of the time they had simple answers. Then some days, there were the harder questions. The ones she would hesitate to speak, afraid of their reactions.

"I lost my bending before? _How_? A-and who did it?"

"Was I a good person…I mean before this all happened?"

She asked that question quite often. It had become quite apparent that the World was not pleased that it's supposed Savior was suffering from amnesia. They wanted to be assured that they would be protected, and more importantly- they wanted validation. It was obvious that she had made mistakes before the incident, even if she wasn't aware of what those were, and she strived to fix the problems she had created.

And then there were those moments that she turned to Mako with curious blue eyes. "What was I like?"

"You…were, um, strong and brave and a powerful bender-"

"That's not what I meant. That's what everyone tells me. I want the truth. Who was I? What was I? To _you_, I mean."

He cleared his throat. "What do you want to know, Korra? I can't tell you what you meant to me-"

She exhaled loudly, planting her hands on her hips. "Why not? Bolin and Asami told me everything they could? You were my friend too, why can't you do the same?" she demanded.

"This isn't the same thing."

"Why not? What happened, Mako? This was-_is_ my life. If you were ever my friend you need to tell me-" she insisted.

"I wasn't your _friend,_ Korra." he interrupted harshly, his fists clenching at his sides. His golden eyes darted away from her blue ones and his chin tipped down.

"What? Then what's the point of you even being here? What did I mean to you if you weren't my friend?" she demanded.

"You mean everything to me, Korra. There's no way you can possibly understand _now_- but there was a time when you loved me and I love you. And I ruined everything, I made you cry- I didn't realize then how much you really meant to me." he choked out.

Her expression was that of confusion, and she studied him for a moment. Her lips curled down and her eyes fell to the floor.

"So what you're saying is…that you really like me…and you think we were made for each other?"


	24. it's more than you can take

_Amnesia AU_

Her bending had altered since her disappearance, it was so much more fluid and smooth than it had been before. Watching her wield elements before the incident had been amazing, but _now- _it was an all new experience.

Her hair was up, now, and when he asked her about it she brought a hand to tug on one of the wolftails, and she mumbled some excuse about Jinora and Ikki doing it for her. Korra didn't speak much, and when she did it was typically questions.

"Do I have any brothers and sisters?"

"Where was I born?"

Answering them had been painful, yet he had not heard the one question he was waiting for. Mako wasn't quite sure what she had been told about her life in Republic City, and she didn't offer him any hints of her knowledge of their prior relationship. Whenever she was around him, it was like she was walking on eggshells, avoiding his gaze and attempting to speak to him by all costs.

She spoke to Bolin, though. Mako felt sick when he watched the pair. Bolin could make her laugh- Mako didn't realize how much he had missed the sound- and smile, something he had yet to achieve since her return. She hardly even glanced at Mako, it was as if she were afraid of him.

Which was why he was so surprised when she approached him one afternoon. She had her fingers curled into fists at her sides. "C-Can I ask you something?" she requested. He nodded immediately, watching her as she struggled to utter the words.

"I-I, um, I wanted to know who you were. I mean, to me. Who were you to me, before?" she questioned. Her gaze met his for the first time since she had returned to Republic City. "Because I see the way you look at me- and I can't understand it. You watch me like I'm going to disappear again, and I don't know why it hurts to think of you- b-but it _does,_ and I'm just so confused. I think- I think I loved you, and I don't know if I ever told you that before, but-" she broke off with a broken, rasping breath.

His gaze softened and he looked away from her. "I'm terrified that you're going to disappear again. I've lost you twice now, Korra- and the thought of losing you one more time is _unimaginable_. I don't know what you can remember and what you can't but there was a time when you loved me and every day I got to see you smile and I could watch you- and you were so happy, Korra. _I_ was so happy."

Her fists uncurled.

"You must have loved me a lot."

"Yeah, I do."


	25. my hopeless dream

The ceremony was beautiful. Delicate pale blue flowers covered the stone plaque that was carved into the base of her statue. And the marble woman that stood before him had such likeness to the real deal that he had to tear his eyes from her.

Bolin's heavy palm cupped his brother's shoulder. "Mako." his voice was croaky, his eyes red rimmed. The firebender turned into his brother and embraced the younger boy.

Asami stood beside the pair, her lips drawn down and her red lipstick thin and fading. Bolin opened an arm to her and she moved into the embrace without a second thought. She buried her face into the earthbender's shoulder, not caring much for her smudged make up.

The trio stepped back, and their gaze returned to the statue that had been revealed only an hour before.

"They missed the smile." Bolin managed, scrutinizing the supposed tribute to their fallen Avatar. Asami nodded in agreement.

"Nothing compared to the real thing." she said. Mako was silent, not able to meet the blank, uncolored eyes that bore back down at him. They were right. It wasn't a proper monument. It captured her general appearance, yet entirely missed the her personality. She stood tall, instead of leaning on one hip like she had usually done. Her expression was all wrong. She was smiling, but it favored the right instead of the left, and the sculptors had not managed to capture the soft curve of her lips or the subtle roundness in her cheeks. She looked sharp and angled.

He turned, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Mako…are you alright?" Asami asked slowly. He nodded, clearing his throat before he spoke.

"I-I just- no one knows what happened. She- she just _disappeared_. She may not be-" he rasped.

Asami shook her head. "We don't want to believe it either, Mako- but- it's been four weeks. She would have found her way back to us."

He nodded. "Yeah, you're right." He was silent for a moment more.

"Tonraq and Senna are still at Air Temple Island- they said they didn't want to see her- it." he nodded towards the statue. "I should go back to them."

"We'll go too." Bolin said, and he and Asami took stride beside the quiet firebender.

Four weeks. Had that much time really passed since her disappearance? He had tracked each hour, studying and poring over eye witness reports, however scant they may have been.

And nothing had explained it. They said she had been on a boat- and suddenly the boat had crumpled. No explanation- just a crumbled, wrecked boat.

His initial response had been guilt, followed by a deep, ghastly ache he felt down to his core. He had said her name a dozen times as he read and re read those reports. Beifong had forced him out, ordering him to take a five week leave.

It had been his fault, he had realized by the third week. She must have been so angry- Korra had power over four elements but little over her own emotion- and she must have crashed- causing damage to the boat. Yet no body had been recovered from the wreckage. There was nothing to prove her death. But it was almost certain she was gone.

Korra wasn't the type to disappear when she was needed. And, whether the world liked it or not, she _was_ needed. By her people- _and him_. His last words had been so harsh and angry- and those had ben the last words she had heard from him before she was gone.

His fists curled involuntarily and he stopped in his tracks. Asami and Bolin paused as well, exchanging a worried look before facing him.

"It- it's my fault."

"Mako, stop. This wasn't your fault, you need to realize this and move on. You can't wait for her to come back- it never gets better that way." Asami insisted.

He shook his head. "No. I'm going to look for her. Him. It. The new Avatar. I-I owe her that much." he said. Bolin's chin tucked.

"I'm going with you, then." he said. "I lost Korra too."

Asami's arms folded over her chest. "I'm coming with you, too."

Mako nodded. He turned, to face her statue.

_"I'm going to find you, Korra. I promise.."_


	26. no matter the cost

"Is…Is that a flying bison?" Asami questioned, tipping her chin up to the clear blue sky. She brought a hand to shield the sun from her eyes. "I didn't think Tenzin and Pema would be coming back from their vacation for another few weeks."

"Uh, I don't think that's them. It's looks like just one person- wait- Is that Korra?" Bolin pointed out, a grin spreading over his lips. He jerked from his seat, stabbing a finger to the sky.

His brother stiffened in his seat on the stone bench, and his eyes lifted to the sky, where the shadow of the flying bison grew closer. His fingers curled around the edges of the bench. The firebender watched as Bolin darted forward, waving his arms wildly, gesturing madly for the bison to land. It's heavy paws met the stone path, and instantly Mako could see something was wrong.

Her shoulders were stiff, though sagging just slightly. Her eyes had dark bags beneath them, and there was an obvious air of absolute exhaustion emitting from her.

She slid from the bison's back, and a hand pressed to it's side. "Good boy." she murmured, a content sigh escaping her lips as she was instantly embraced into Bolin's strong arms.

"Where have you been? You didn't even say goodbye when you left!" Bolin shouted, and he jerked her at arms length, studying her tired form. She smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry, there was a lot going on. I don't really have time to hang around here, I'm sorry- but I have a lot to do." She took a step back and her eyes swept over the other two sitting in the pavilion. Asami offered a smile and a quick hug, and Mako noted the way their lips moved as the whispered unintelligible words to one another.

Korra's eyes fell on him for just a split second, before they darted away. She turned to the entrance of the living quarters. Passing acolytes bowed deeply, and she simply waved off their concerned murmurs as the gestured to the imprints of rope netting burns that decorated her back. She hurried into the old room she had lived in during her stay on the Island. Korra jerked the drawers open and shoved every article of clothing she could find into a canvas bag she retrieved from the farthest corner of the closet.

"Korra, where are you going?" Bolin questioned from the doorway.

"I'm going away." she said shortly. Asami frowned.

"Away?" she repeated.

Korra spoke as she hurried through the room, her attention diverting to packing quickly. "When I was gone I found out a lot of things about myself, and what I have to do to end the War between the North and South. I know what to do now, I just needed a few things before I leave." she stated.

"Well then we'll pack up too-" Bolin began. Korra spun around quickly.

"_No_." she barked, "What I have to do is dangerous Bolin. I need to fix this mess, I started it all."

"Look, Korra, whatever you're planning on doing- we can help." Asami insisted. Korra shook her head, her fingers curling around the clasp of the bag.

"No, you don't get it. It's too dangerous- there's so much more at stake than I thought before. I can't afford to hurt anyone else- especially not you all."

"Korra, _what is going on_?" Asami demanded.

"I can't tell you!" Korra retorted, shoving past the heiress and starting down the hallway, the bag slung over her shoulder. Asami and Bolin followed swiftly.

"You aren't going without us! Tell us what's going on, Korra!"

Korra darted to the bison, throwing the bag onto the saddle. "No." she said stubbornly. She hiked herself up onto the bison, her brows pulled together.

"Mako!" Asami shouted, desperately. The firebender had been so silent, and his eyes lifted to Korra, whose gaze had fallen to the reins. "Tell her this is crazy!"

"Korra, please. Just tell us what's going on." he said, his tone soft. She was shaking, her palms bunching the leather reins up in her palms.

"I was attacked by a dark spirit, and I was missing. I wasn't in the Fire Nation- I was _gone_. And when I was gone, I met a few people. Spiritual Guides, actually. And the first Avatar. He taught me what I had to do to fix all of this. And he showed me what could happen if I don't- and what will happen to everyone else is I let all of this go on." she explained.

She straightened in the saddle. "Which is why I'm not letting you come with me. Too much is at stake. It's too dangerous for you all to come with me. I'm doing this to protect you."

"But we're supposed to protect you too." Bolin spoke up. Korra's lips curled down, and she shook her head once more.

"No. Protecting you all is what I do, remember? That's the Avatar's job. Protect the people. No matter what the cost…and that's what I plan on doing." Her gaze dropped to meet theirs, and she smiled for just a fleeting moment.

She tugged at the reins just a bit, and the bison heaved upwards.

"Korra!" Mako shouted, a hand extending up to the sky. He could have sworn her saw her hand fall and brush the end of the saddle, as if she were reaching right back for him. And then she was gone, fading into the clouds and melding in with the blues of the sky.


	27. we're all wasted

The engine roared beneath him as he turned the motorcycle sharply around the narrow city alleys. His gloved hands gripping the handlebars, and his knuckles ached beneath the strain. The firebender had spent the previous four days pouring over notes, maps and every single report he could get his hands on to track this specific location.

This was merely a distraction, however. It was vital to his career, but a distraction from the current events. Mako cut the engine, and hid the vehicle in the shadows of the alley. His gloved fingers moved to brush over the golden badge positioned over his heart. He gripped the badge and tore it from his uniform, shoving it into his pocket.

This was so much more than a job, now. He approached the warehouse, his hands curled tight as fists at his sides. Only dim lights flickered through the small, grimy windows, and it became more apparent of who was inside as he went closer.

_She_ had restored the bending of all triad members, despite what all had said about it. She had touched them, her a thumb pressed to their forehead, and her eyes illuminating as she gave them their bending back. He had said nothing during that, only offered her a hesitant smile as she fueled dangerous men with the power to return to their life of crime. He should have said something.

_I should have said a lot of things, _he thought to himself. He had said all the wrong things in those final moments. She had just been there, her anger almost tangible as she voiced his betrayal. And he had screamed back, no longer holding in his words and thoughts. He voiced every insecurity she had ever felt, every one, and it had felt _good_. It had felt good to hurt someone, he realized. It had just been seconds later when he knew he never wanted to feel that way again. The way her eyes had widened, and how the tears had collected at the edges, it drove him to the brink.

It had been only twenty minutes after those words had left his mouth that her disappearance had been announced She had_ just_ been there, with him, albeit not in the best mood, but hadn't she just been alive? It wasn't a possibility that she was dead, despite what Unalaq and his children said.

He braced himself as he brought his foot against the door, wielding fire against the weak metal. It crumpled beneath the pressure, and he forced entry into the warehouse. Mako grit his teeth and just narrowly missed a well aimed ribbon of fire as he bounded forward.

"Mako?" Just as he had suspected. Shady Shin and Lightning Bolt Zolt were poised and ready for a fight, along with several others. "What? You pissed your girl's dead and decided to take it out on us innocent business men?" Shin sneered.

Mako did not speak, he just shoved forward a torpedo of flames.

"Thinking back on it, though, ain't she the reason we're even here to begin with. Ironic, huh, Mako?" Shin goaded, a sheet of ice separating and turning to frozen daggers. Mako thrust a wall of fire to block the onslaught of waterbending.

"Shut up." he hissed. Zolt had been silent, though he remained poised for fire was raging now, boring down on Shin.

"Is that what this is about? Blowing off some steam about the dead Avatar?" sneered Shin.

_That's exactly what this is about._


	28. only know you love her

_Memory Loss AU_

The earthbender boy had insisted on taking them all out to dinner, and he had chosen this little restaurant called 'Narooks'. He had insisted that it was authentic Water Tribe food, and he suggested that it may jog her memory. She had agreed immediately, eager to remember the life she had supposedly left behind.

He had hooked his arm through hers and dragged her through the entrance, with the pretty girl and the quiet firebender boy trailing behind. She had settled into the booth when the waiter met them eagerly, bowing respectfully towards her.

"It is an honor, Avatar Korra, and I hope you know that the meal is on the house." he stated.

"Oh- no! That's not necessary, um, I can pay." she interrupted, bringing her hands up in protest. The boy smiled, drawing his dimple to attention.

"But Avatar Korra, it would be _my_ honor." he repeated.

Her lips parted for a moment and she hesitated to speak. "Well, then, I guess it can't be helped?" she questioned, her cheeks pinking slightly at the boy's implication.

He dashed away with their orders, and Korra faced the three. The Asami girl was wide eyed, an expression of disbelief on her pretty face. Bolin had his face buried in the newspaper he had picked up from the counter. The firebender boy would not look at her, his arms were crossed ove rhis chest, his brows pulled together and his lips drawn down into a tight frown.

"Did I miss something? Are you all okay?" she questioned. "Did I say something that I wouldn't have…before?"

Bolin cleared his throat. "Um, uh, nah- you're fine." he mumbled, shaking his head vigorously.

The waiter delivered their food, and bowed his head towards Korra. "Enjoy."

Korra reached forward for her plate, and a note was stuck to the bottom of it. It fell loose and rested on the table. She picked it up and examined it. In messy, hurried scrawl was the waiter's name, phone number and address. Her cheeks reddened once more and she laughed.

"He have me his _number_." she breathed. "Do I even have a telephone to call him with?"

The firebender boy cleared his throat and murmured something to Asami. She scooted out of the booth and Mako followed. While Asami once more took her seat, Mako tossed a few stray bills on the table.

"See you at home, Bolin." he grunted. Bolin nodded silently, darting a look up at Korra.

"Wait- why are you leaving?" she called towards Mako, her brows pinched together in confusion. He waved her away, turning his back to the girl.

"It's nothing." he muttered.

She turned to the other two occupants, who were silent, their eyes focused on the food on their plates.

"I don't understand what I'm doing." she snapped. She jerked from the table and hurried out of the restaurant. Korra caught him on the sidewalk, about to cross the street. She lunged forward and her fingers wrapped around his wrist.

"Wait-" she insisted. He froze, and his skin was unbelievably warm to the touch. Her cheeks burned and she relinquished her hold on him. "Wait." she repeated.

He did not make a move to leave, though his golden eyes would not meet hers. "What happened? What did I do to make you want to leave?" she demanded.

"Nothing you can help. I just had to go." he said. She shook her head.

"That isn't good enough! How am I supposed to remember my life when no one will even tell me anything?" she shouted.

He exhaled deeply. "Korra- you can't understand right now, if I told you it would just ruin-"

"Ruin what? What did I do to make you hate me?"

"I don't hate you! I was jealous, really jealous, okay?" he cut in loudly, his eyes meeting hers for the first time.

"Jealous." she repeated. "Of the waiter?"

He nodded, and his fists curled at his sides. "It was so stupid- but I _am_. Korra, you can't remember but we…dated. For six months. And now you can't remember a thing about our relationship- and now it just kills me to see you flirting with someone like _that_." he spat the last words and she took a step back.

"Wait- you and I-" she murmured, gesturing from herself to the firebender. His fists uncurled at his sides.

"I shouldn't even have told you."

"I-I'm sorry." she mumbled.

"What?" he questioned, lowering his eyes to hers once more. The silence that followed was seemingly immense and she was shaking when she spoke.

"I'm really sorry, okay? I didn't know- I don't know anything, really- but I'm sorry for _that_." she finished.

"You're so different now."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know."

Her lips pressed in a thin line and she glanced back at the restaurant. "I bet Asami and Bolin are waiting for us in there. We should-"

He shook his head. "You go. I'm not hungry."

"I won't-"

"It's not your fault, Korra. I'll just have Bolin bring my food back to the apartment. I just…need to go clear my head." he muttered an explanation. She nodded, and turned back to the entrance.

"But- I'll see you again, right?" she implored, tilting her head to the side as she waited for his reply.

"Yeah."


	29. someday soon

Rohan's little fingers were curled in her hair, grasping at the dark brown strands. His wide green eyes studied her soft features, gurgling happily as her nose scrunched up and her lips descended on his round little belly.

He giggled loudly, kicking his little feet into the air. Korra laughed, straightening to her knees and gentle lifting Rohan to his feet. The little boy went quiet, his lips parting in awe as the Avatar held him upright.

"Now, walk to me. Come on, walk to me." she urged him, her fingers releasing his palms from hers. He swayed for a moment, and his eyes widened as he landed directly on his rear.

Korra laughed and lifted him up again. "Try again." she said, and she cradled her arms around him, ready to catch him if necessary. He stood by himself for a moment and a shriek of excitement escaped his lips. Rohan waved his hands and plopped down to his rear.

She laughed again and rolled onto her belly, resting her chin on her palm as she watched the little boy. He studied her as well, silent as he examined the girl.

"Wonder if you'll be an airbender." she hummed absently, raising a hand to ruffle his dark hair. He was silent, his green eyes going glassy. "Or an earthbender. Your Mom's from the Earth Kingdom, right?"

Drool dribbled down his chin and Korra cringed. "Gross." she murmured, though she retrieved the drool rag and wiped him clean.

Rohan lurched forward, flopping onto her head and cuddling into her hair. She laughed loudly and allowed the baby to explore her dark hair with his fingers. He yanked on the ends.

"Ouch." she complained.

"Korra?" She peered through her loose hair, Rohan still attached, at her boyfriend, who was standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Mako." she greeted, a sheepish grin spreading over her lips. He returned his smile and approached the girl. The firebender rested beside her and Korra straightened, picking up Rohan and settling him in her lap.

"Uh, Tenzin and Pema took the kids into the city, and they asked me to watch Rohan." she explained.

"And you've been here playing with him for, what- three hours?" he deduced. She grinned, turning her attention to the infant, who was currently enraptured with the newcomer.

"He wants you." Korra stated, lifting Rohan from her lap and placing him in Mako's unsure arms. The firebender's arms spread for a moment, not quite sure where to place his hands to handle the child.

"Look, cool guy, like this." she instructed him, moving one of his hands to cradle Rohan's head and the other to support his back and rear. "There, that's how you hold a baby."

Mako stared down at Rohan. "How're you good at this?" he muttered. Korra shrugged.

"When Katara was teaching me waterbending she brought real patients for me to heal, and sometimes they were sick babies or kids, it just kind of stuck." she explained to him.

He nodded, and Rohan yawned at their exchange. "He's tired." Mako noted. Korra nodded and opened her arms for Mako to surrender the child. She stood, cradling the infant as she made her way to Rohan's crib. Mako followed, his hand lingering on the small of Korra's back, as he watched her rest the child in his bed.

Korra's fingers tucked the blanket further around Rohan, securing him in a swaddle. Mako's lips curled up tenderly, and his lips pressed to his girlfriend's temple.

"Getting sentimental on me, Mako?" she asked. He laughed, and his arms looped around her waist.

"It's just…different- seeing you so…_motherly_." he told her. Her cheeks flushed and she shrugged, her arms crossing self consciously over her chest.

"Ugh, I didn't-this- _don't get any ideas_." she stammered. He shook his head, his cheeks reddening just slightly.

"I definitely have ideas, Korra. None including that subject- at least not for a long time." he told her. She smiled, her fingers raising to rake through his dark hair.

"Well, I have a few ideas, too. Since Rohan won't be awake for an hour or two, and the others won't get back until night, _so_," she prompted, her fingers curling around his scarf as she lowered his lips down to meet hers.

He thought he had an idea of what she was getting at.


	30. we're bound to be awhile

He could only hear her laughter bouncing off the hollowed, petrified trees that surrounded them. His lips curled up and he darted forward, his feet kicking dirt up behind him as he burst forward. His lunged burned and his chest heaved with every step but _she_ was wherever he was heading.

Strong arms wrap around his middle and he's jerked to a sudden stop. Her lips are pressed to the middle of his bare back and he can feel her warm breath there. Mako moves his arms to catch her but she's too quick for him, _again_.

Korra races in front of him, her wolftails loose and hanging around her face. She tilts her head to the side and sticks her tongue out, before she jets forward past the grove of towering trees. She really gives him no chances, and he's not sure if it's the airbending that's making her this quick or if it's just _her_.

Her energy is contagious and he follows where she took off, his arms pumping at his sides, forcing himself farther and faster. He finds himself in a thicket, surrounded by aged and war torn trees with crooked, angled branches and molded leaves scattered over the ground.

Mako hunched over, his palms resting on his knees, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Giving up?" her voice is close, and he straightens. His golden eyes dart around in search for her, and she's leaning against one of the trees, her hands pressed flat to the weathered bark. Her chin is tilted upwards, her eyes following the massive expanse of the great willow as it stretched to meet the sky. Her lips pressed together and her hands cupped the crumbling bark.

"This used to be a huge garden, before the One Hundred Year war. There was a myth that the spirits used to walk through here at night, I guess the firebenders were stronger than those stories." she murmured.

He was quiet, and all he could hear was her steady breathing and the thrumming of his own blood in his veins. Her hair was damp and loose from it's holds, and her shirt clung to her chest and back from the sweat, but he swore she had never looked so perfect.

He was before her in two strides, and his palms cupped the smooth curve of her jaw. His lips swallowed the words that had been on the tip of her tongue. She pressed into him just as eagerly, her own hands tangling into his damp hair and holding his lips to hers.

His breath was hot and ragged, and hers was no better as he backed her into the very tree she had just been admiring. Her legs hooked around his waist, holding him tight to her center. They parted, and her arms locked around the nape of his neck.

The firebender's lips curled up and his forehead dipped to press to hers. "Think we should head back?" he rasped. Her eyes rolled and her lips descended on his once more.


End file.
